fessed, that he derived no other advantage from it, than to know and esteem Swiss valour. Accordingly this desperate conflict gave rise to their treaty with Charles II. the first they ever contracted with France.

The Swiss still talk of this famous action with an enthusiastic ardour. Every year the inhabitants of Basle form parties to an inn, near the scene of the engagement, in order to commemorate, in a red wine produced from some vineyards planted on the field of battle, the heroic deeds of their countrymen, who fell in such a noble contest. This wine, which they call the blood of the Swiss, is highly prized by the Basileans, though it has little to recommend it in point of flavour.

Not far from Basle, are the ruins of Auguast Rauricorum, formerly a large Roman town, now dwindled away to a small village. Of its former grandeur nothing remains, save some marble columns and scattered fragments of pillars, with a circular range of walls on a rising ground, entirely covered with underwood. This was propably the theatre. Our author observed also some remains of the aqueducts which conveyed the water to the town from the distance of twelve miles.

Medals of the Roman emperors, from Augustus to Constantine, are frequently found in turning up the ground, amidst the ruins. Our author purchased one of Trajan and another of Albinus, from a labourer.

Mr. Coxe made an excursion to Mulhausen, a town in alliance with the Swiss cantons, though entirely surrounded by the dominions of France. It stands in a district of Alsace, about fifteen

miles from Basle, in a fertile plain, at the bottom of a ridge of hills, not far from the Voges; and its whole territory is comprised within a precinct of eight miles.

It was received in the Helvetic confederacy in 1515, by which its liberty and independence have been preserved, both from the encroachments of the empire and of France. The government is aristo-democratical. The supreme power resides in the great and little councils, consisting, together, of seventy-eight persons, drawn from the burghers, whose number amounts to seven hundred, distributed into six tribes. The inhabitants are of the reformed religion, and the town contains about six thousand souls, with about two thousand more in its little territory.

Though the greatest part of the dominions subject to the bishop of Basle, or, as the protestants style him, the Prince of Porentru, is not comprised within the limits of Switzerland, yet as many of his subjects are comburghers with Berne, and under the protection of that republic, his territory is usually included in all the topographical accounts of the cantons.

Our author made several excursions into this bishopric, and informed himself as to its political and local circumstances. The sovereign of this country is chosen by the chapter of eighteen canons, resident at Arlesheim, and confirmed by the pope. He is a prince of the German empire, and does homage to the emperor for that part of his territory which lies within the circle of the Upper Rhine.

The form of government is a limited monarchy; the bishop being bound, on all important oc

casions, to consult his chapter. His subjects are partly Protestants, partly Catholics. The Pro

testants are chiefly seated in the valley of Munster, and to the south of Pierre Pertius. Their number is calculated at fifteen thousand; that of the Catholics at thirty-five thousand.

Porentru, the capital of the bishop's dominions, and his principal residence, is a small, neat town, in an oval plain, surrounded by well-wooded hills, and watered by a meandering stream. The episcopal palace stands on an eminence, overlooking the town, and the environs are fertile in corn and pasture. One of the towers of the palace is said to be of Roman workmanship, and is a monument of its high antiquity.

The high roads which lead from all quarters to Porentru, have been formed at a considerable expence, and do honour to the munificence of the sovereign.

Bellelay, which Mr. Coxe visited in his journey from Bienne to Porentru, is a rich abbey of Benedictines, about twenty miles from the capital, in a sequestered, but not unpleasant situation. This abbey is not confined solely to religious purposes; but contains a military academy, provided with suitable masters and professors. The whole expence of a scholar's education and maintenance does not exceed twenty pounds per annum.

On the 14th of August, Mr. Coxe made an excursion, with several friends, to Arlesheim, about four miles from Basle. They dined with Baron de Ligertz, one of the canons. After an elegant and social repast, their host attended them to a garden in the vicinity, called the Hermitage. The grounds are very extensive and pleasant;

and form the usual promenade of the town. The walks are carried along the sides of rocks, richly. wooded, and through a delightful semicircular plain, bounded by fertile hills, and watered by a small lake. Several natural caverns add to the romantic beauty of the scenery, while many translucent streams, conveyed from a distance, fall in small cascades, or bubble from the ground like real springs.

In another excursion to Bienne, they passed through a fertile plain, watered by the Birs, and bounded by two chains of the Jura. As they proceeded, the plain gradually narrowed, and the mountains approached each other. They now entered the rich valley of Lauffen, encircled by rocks, sprinkled with groves of oak and beech, and exhibiting many romantic points of view.

About three leagues farther, they came to a narrow pass, which leads to the valley of Delmont, and ascended to the town of the same name, pleasantly situated on an acclivity, backed by a ridge of rocks, embrowned by firs.

A mile beyond Delmont, they stopped at Corrandelin, to view an iron foundery. The ore is drawn from the valley of Delmont, and is taken from the ground in pieces generally no larger than a pea.

Soon after quitting Corrandelin, they entered a narrow glen, about four miles long, and, in many places, resembling a subterraneous passage. The road winds by the side of the impetuous Birs, at the bottom of two ranges of white rocks, of inaccessible height, yet agreeably feathered with trees, which almost exclude the rays of the sun from the narrow vale below.

In the midst of the glen is La Roche, the first Protestant village in the valley of Munster; the houses of which stand on both sides of the Birs.

Having passed this narrow vale, they entered a fertile plain encircled by hills, in the center of which stands the village of Munster. Half a mile beyond this, they came to another glen, more wild, more craggy, and obscure than that which they had lately left. The Birs rushes through it with great impetuosity, and the open space barely allows room for a carriage road. This causeway, over broken crags and steep precipices, does honour to the prince under whose direction, and at whose expence it was executed.

Though our author had frequently heard it remarked in Switzerland, that in all deep vallies, which intersect the mountains, the salient angles on one side correspond with the cavities of the other, and the parallel strata of rocks have a resemblance on both sides; yet he never saw the fact more strongly exemplified than in the two ridges of limestone rocks that border this glen. They are of stupendous height; and the strata, whether horizontal, inclined, or almost perpendicular, are exactly similar, and the same thickness on both hands. Hence it is evident, they were formerly united, and have been rent asunder by some violent convulsion, or gradually worn by the attrition of the waters.

They now entered another plain, well cultivated, and spotted with villages; and towards the close of the evening arrived at Molleray, where they passed the night. The greatest part of the inhabitants are employed in agriculture; and seem a contented, happy and industrious race.